Electric switch



P. HUTT ELECTRIC SWITCH Filed Aug. 29, 1940 June 30, 1942. I

Ifivent-onz Philip Hu 1:, by

lusum rmn 4 m u a a ""3 0 Z a, ,0 0 0 r 3 F 4. M 7 J a 3 His Attorn ePatented June 30, 1942 ELECTRIC SWITCH Philip Hutt, New Haven,

Conn., assignor to General Electric Company, a corporation of New YorkApplication August 29, 1940, Serial No. 354,700

5 Claims.

My invention relates to electric switches, and more particularly to snapswitches of the type which are used in residence wiring systems.

The object of my invention is the provision of a new and improvedelectric switch of the type described, which comprises relatively fewparts and which may be manufactured at low cost.

In the accompanying drawing Fig. 1 is a plan view of my electric switch;Fig. 2 is a cross-secticnal view through the switch showing the elementsthereof in off position; Fig. 3 is another sectional view through theendof the switch, and Fig. 4 is an exploded view showing the switchelements.

Referring to the drawing, my switch includes a housing terial, such as aphenolic condensation product and filler, and which is provided with arecess l I for receiving the operating elements of the switch mechanism.Opposite side walls of the recess II are provided with upstandingabutment members I2 formed with V slots l3 which form bearing surfacesfor ears l4 pivotally supporting a rocker member IS. The rocker memberI5 is formed of sheet metal and is provided with a central web portionl6 and flexible spring contact arms H which extend in oppositedirections on each side of the central web portion. As shown mostclearly by Figs. 2 and 4, the contact arms l1 extend from the body ofthe rocker member at points immediately adjacent the web l6 and thencurve upwardly into the plane of the pivot ears I4. This greatlystrengthens the construction since the contact arms flex about pointsadjacent the transverse web It, thereby preventing distortion of therocker member. Opposite side walls of the recess H are also formed withrecesses l8 which provide bearing surfaces for a pin l9 pivotallymounting the operating mechanism of the switch.

The operating mechanism includes a handle 20 which may be formed ofinsulating material and which is provided with a recess (not shown) forreceiving an operating tang 2| pivotally mounted upon the aforementionedpin l9. Attached to one end. of the operating tang 2| is a spring 22;the other end of the spring rests against an upstanding flanged opening23 formed in the web ii of the rocker member. Normally the spring 22 isin compression so that it acts as an over-center member to snap therocker member to and fro to open and close a circuit through the switch.The assembly thus far described is held in position within the recess Hby a mounting strap 24 which is formed oi! insulating maopposite sidesof the handle 20 to maintain the handle in seated position on the pin I9and the pin in position within the recesses l8. The pin I9 rests withina groove 26 formed in the handle member. The mounting strap 24 is heldin position on the insulating base member by means of screws 21extending into recesses 28 in opposite ends of the housing member. Anopening 24 in the mounting strap receives the switch handle 20.

At one end the opposite walls ll of the housing are cut away, as shownat 30, to receive stationary contact members 3t. Opposite walls of thehousing defining the cutout portion 30 are provided with grooves 32which receive opposite upstanding edges 33 of the fixed contact membersto position them on the base. member. The contact members are simplyslipped into position in the grooves. Each contact member is providedwith a flat terminal portion 34 extending at right angles to the contactbody and which rests on the flat surface 35 of an ear 36 projectingoutwardly from the housing II at a point below the slot 30. Eachterminal plate 34 is provided with a terminal screw 3'! for connectionto the residence wiring system, the screw extending into an opening 38in the car 36. Each contact member is also provided with a contact face39 which extends inwardly into the recess in the housing away from theplane of the edges 33 to provide, in eflect, an offset" portion forminga ledge 40.

The contact members are held in fixed position on the base by means ofan insulating bearing member 42 which is provided with a central webportion and opposed arms or wings 43 which extend at right anglesthereto. The bearing member is conveniently made of insulating sheetfiber, or the like. In assembled position the arms or wings 43 of thebearing member extend downwardly into the space between the contactfaces 39 and the contact edges 33and rest on the ledge portions 40, asshown most clearly by Fig. 3. The upper edge of the bearing member restsdirectly beneath the mounting strap 24 flush with which bears againstcam surfaces 25 formed on the top edge of the housing, so that as thestrap is mounted in position on the base member it bears against themember 42 and thereby-maintains the fixed contact elements in seatedposition on the base. The web portion of the insulating member 42 isprovided with a tongue 45 which extends downwardly to a point adjacentthe bottom of the recess II to insulate the interior or the housing fromthe arcing action between the movable contact fingers l1 and the fixedcontact surfaces 39.

The construction described greatly simplifies the manner of mounting thefixed contact members on the base inasmuch as separate fastening meansare not required. The contact members are held in position simply by theclamping action of the mounting strap 2| appliedthrough the action ofthe insulating member 42. The depending tongue 45 is somewhat narrowerthan themain web portion 42 of the insulating clamping member so thatthe contact finger ll may pass upwardly alongside the tongue to engagethe fixed contact surfaces. I

When the switch is in closed position current flows from one terminalthrough the center rocking member l5 to the other terminal. Uponmovement of the handle the rocker member.

15 is oscillated about the pivots It with a snap action under influenceof the spring 22 to move the flexible contact arms 11 into and out ofengagement with the contact faces 39. The spring 22 bears against thecenter web portion it of the rocker member and maintains the rockerseated firmly in position on the bearing surfaces [3. The spring cannotbecome dislocated on the rocker member since it is held in position bythe upstanding flange 23, as shown in Fig. 2, which projects into theconvolutions of the spring. Rocking movement of the rocker member islimitedin each direction by bosses 46 upstanding from the bottom of therecess.

While I have described and illustrated my invention as applied to asingle pole switch, it should be manifest that the invention may beapplied equally as well to a three-way switch simply by placing acontact member of the I type shown at the opposite end of the housing Hand providing a suitable shunt connection in a manner well understood inthe art. This is readily accomplished since the rocker member is acircuit conducting element and may be moved 4 to and fro into and out ofengagement with fixed contact members at opposite ends of the housing.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates is:

1. In an electric switch, a housing of insulating material havingopposite walls defining a recess, each of said walls being provided witha slot, a stationary contact member having edge portions located in arespective slot and having a contact surface extending into the recess,said contact surface being offset from the edge portions to form aledge, an insulating member having a web portion and spaced armsextending at right angles .thereto, the arms resting on the ledgeportions of the stationary contact members in the spaces between thecontact surfaces andthe edge portions with the web portion extendingbetween the respective contact members, means secured to said housingand hearing against said insulating member for maintaining said'contactmembers in fixed position on the housing, and movable contact meanswithin the recess cooperating with the fixed contact members forcontrolling a circuit through the switch.

2. In an electric switch, a housing of insulating material havingopposite walls defining'arecess, each of said walls being provided witha means having spaced arms within the recess, the

arms cooperating with the respective fixed contact members, aninsulating member having spaced lateral arms, the arms resting on therespective stationary contact members in the spaces between the contactsurfaces and the edge portions, said insulating member having an ex-'tending portion disposed between the contact arms of the movable memberwhen the circuit through the switch is closed, and means secured to saidhousing and bearing against said insulating member for maintaining thespaced contact members in fixed position on the housing.

3. In an electric switch, a housing of insulating material havingopposite walls defining a recess, each of said walls being providedwitha slot, a stationary contact member having edge portions located in arespective slot and having an insulating member resting onthe ledgeportion of each contact member in the space between the contact surfaceand the edge portions, means secured to said housing and bearing againstsaid insulating members for maintaining said fixed contact members inposition on the housing and movable contact means within the recesscooperating with the fixed contact members to control a circuit throughthe switch,

4. In an electric switch, a housing of insulating,material havingopposite walls defining a recess, each of said walls being provided witha slot, said housing being. formed with ears extending outwardly fromthe said opposite walls at points adjacent said slots, an L-shapedstationary contact member having a terminal portion resting on each earand having a portion extending at right angles thereto provided withedges located in a respective slot and having a contact face offset fromthe last-mentioned portion extending into the recess, an insulatingmember resting on each stationary contact memher in the space betweenthe contact surfaces and the edge portions, means secured to saidhousing and bearing against said insulating member for maintaining saidspaced contact members in fixed position on the housing and movablecontact means within the recess cooperating with the fixed contactmembers for controlling a circuit through the switch.

slot, a stationary contact member having edge- 5. In an electric switch,a housing of insulating material having opposite walls defining arecess, each of said walls being provided with a slot therein, aplurality of stationary coni'a'ctmembers having edge portions located ina corresponding slot, each contact member having a contact faceextending into the recess; and being-offset from the edge portions toform a ledge,

a plate of insulating material resting on edge on the ledge portion ofeach contact member in the space between the contact surface and theedge portions, a mounting strap secured to said housing and bearingagainst said insulating plates for maintaining sai'd'fixed contactmembers in position on' the housing and movable, contact means withinthe recess cooperating with the fixed contact members to control thecircuit.

through the switch.

' PHILIP.

